Previously healthy, now very ill

[wishingtobehealthy]

Hi, I'm 18 years old, 5'7", now 119 lbs due to unintentional weight loss, and I have one child, 1 year old.

6/16/08 - 6/19/08
* Frequent (possibly daily) diarrhea - bloody, watery, mucus, foul-smelling, moderate to severe.
* Foul-smelling stools, different than normal - as if I’m sick. (This symptom showed up in the last couple days).
* Bloating/Fullness - especially after eating
* Change in body’s natural habits related to stomach, bowel movements, stools, etc.
* Increased passing gas
* Frequent bowel movements, increase in bowel movements
* Frequent urge to use the restroom
* Constant abdominal discomfort
* Pain in the lower abdomen - cramp-like, achy, pressure; mild to moderate; frequently made worse by pressing on abdomen, sometimes made worse by movement or certain positions, sometimes made worse by a full bladder.
* Sometimes painful bowel movements.
* Frequent “sick”, nauseated, or painful feeling before, during, and/or after bowel movements.
* Upset stomach - brought on or made worse by anxiety
* Nausea
* Bleeding - on the skin above, below, and around the rectal area. (This symptom I haven’t seen recently)
* Sometimes tender, painful, swollen, or red areas (perineum and above the rectal area).
* Blood in the toilet and on toilet tissue, sometimes with stools, diarrhea, or mucus, sometimes just blood. Sometimes reddish tinted stool.
* Blood or bloody mucous leaking. (This has happened two or three times).
* Sudden onset of feeling the need to use the restroom, often accompanied by a sense of urgency, or worse, a sense of emergency.
* Intense, contraction-like pain (as of yesterday and today) comparable to what I experienced at four centimeters dilated.
* Seemingly excessive fatigue and lack of physical energy (this symptom has been on and off since I had the baby and may have been brought on or worsened by depression)
* Weakness, to the point where everyday activities (such as walking up and down the stairs and carrying my son) are becoming very difficult. (This symptom showed up in the past few days).

~ I began noticing symptoms : late March. They were somewhat on and off at first, then more and more symptoms showed up, they became more frequent/constant, and the intensity seemed to increase.
It’s gotten to a point where I simply can’t ignore it.
~ My father has Crohn’s disease. I believe some other gastrointestinal conditions may run in my family as well.

6/20/08
The pain is now unbearable. I can barely think. I don’t want to move. I can’t function like a normal person. I have no desire to eat, I’m thirsty, and I have dry mouth. But it seems like even liquids might upset my stomach.
I barely have the strength to pick up my 20-lb son, Cade. Going up the stairs to my apartment is a great labor. I feel most certainly weaker, sicker, more fatigued, and more in pain.
My bathroom trips are from 2 to like 8 per hour. The medicine either hasn’t kicked in or doesn’t work.  

I keep thinking about death. How it would be a much-welcomed relief from this pain. I wonder… do they think I’m lying about my symptoms? They didn’t even take a stool sample. The would’ve seen then, that it was liquid, blood, and mucous only yesterday. Or if they recorded how often I’ve had to use the restroom, they’d be shocked. If they really knew what I was going through, there’s no way the would’ve let me leave. But I guess it makes sense - nothing showed up on the blood tests or CT Scan. To me, that was the greatest disappointment. I wanted a diagnosis. Even if it was something horrible like cancer. Why? Because once you have a diagnosis, you can get treated. But before that, you’re just another emergency department patient with an unknown ailment.

June 28th 2008
Today was a bad symptom day. Lots of blood. Countless bathroom trips. I couldn’t sleep last night because I kept waking up to go to the bathroom. Back pain to accompany the severe abdominal pain. It seems like the pain can start as low as my pubic bone, I guess, and go as high as a couple inches above my navel. The bloating is insane. I’ve been losing weight, and I still feel so much internal pressure and bloating. And after eating? Geez. All of the symptoms just get so much worse.
The day after my first ED visit, I went back. They performed a vaginal ultrasound and a lower abdominal ultrasound and found nothing. They took out my IUD. I’ve stopped taking my medicines (Zantac, Ibuprofen 600, Metoclopram 10 mg - as needed, Dicyclomine 10mg - 4 times a day). I don’t think they helped at all, except for the Ibuprofen, somewhat. But I don’t want to take it because it can make stomach and bowel related problems worse. All I want is a diagnosis, nothing more. If anything I can find a natural treatment for whatever it is.
I wonder if it is a cancer, like colorectal cancer, or if it’s more along the lines of irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or gastroenteritis.

I can’t stand it, my stomach hurts so bad. I have more gas, more diarrhea. I feel like I have difficulty using the restroom and I never get everything out in one trip. It seems like I have more going out of me than I have going into me.
My stomach is so sensitive to pressure, touch. It’s horrible. If Cade gets on my stomach, I practically black out.

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I'm willing to answer any questions. I don't have insurance, by the way... hence the hospital visits.

[Cindee56]

Hi, I sent you a private message about this.

Hope you feel better soon.

[Allisonc78]

I also experienced this after having a baby but not to that extreme. Have you tried any kind of hemerroid treatment? The blood could easily be from internal hemerroids. Because of your age I wouldn't suspect colonitis but if your symptoms are that bad maybe a colonoscopy and an abdomenal ultrasound would be a good idea. Maybe get an insurance plan of some sort or medicaid? Blood in the stool especially if its chronic should be looked into by a gastroenterologist. Sorry your not feeling well.